The Nether's Child
by embers-of-the-flame
Summary: Father had always taken good care of her, but now, he was gone. Or, at least, as close as it would get. Now, she was just a girl without a home or meaning, but Twilight didn't mind it one bit. After all, she was used to being alone. (yog-fic... kind of)
1. The Nether's Child part 1

**The Nether's Child part 1**

If Twilight was being completely honest, she didn't know when she first got to her former home.

It was all just sort of a blurry mess of memories that meshed into one sort of blob of incoherent thoughts. She knew that she had been young… four, maybe? The girl also knew that it all had happened on her own accord. The memories of the events of the day before she was home still rang fresh in her mind, as if it had happened only the day before. It was the only thing she could remember before her life with her Father began.

But as she walked through the forest that had become like a new home for her, she couldn't help but wonder what it had been like. She was always moving from place to place. After all, she couldn't have her Father finding her. While she wanted to go home, to the lava and nether stone brick fortress that she knew like the back of her hand, she felt that she would miss the surface even more. The way the sun breached through the tree branches, the running water which would just vanish in the Nether, the cool breeze. It was all just so… perfect.

**XoXoXoXo**

Brilliant blue eyes shone like sapphires in the daylight, short bark brown hair waved through the air slightly in a loose braid. Laughter filled the brisk, clean air. A small village was close by, with a vast desert slowly approaching from the west. Everyone knew everyone in that small town, children of all ages ran around free. A large hill that seemed to be fifty blocks tall stood alone to the north. There were very few rules in the community: no stealing, be respectful, don't venture out at night, and _never_ under any circumstances climb the hill or explore the approaching desert.

Both places held stories used to frighten young ones into obeying the law. It was said that if someone went into the desert they became infected with some sort of virus. At first it would be like the person had a fever, but as their health began to deteriorate the fever became worse. The person would start hallucinating; rashes would appear on the skin wherever the sand had touched them. Soon the subject would fall into a coma, and die soon after. As for the hill, the story was much simpler. People would go up the hill, and they would never be seen again.

For the most part, the stories had kept the young ones away from both places. No one would go anywhere near the desert with a ten foot pole. The descriptions of the illness scaring them off without any issue. The hill however, remained a mystery. As such it had become a common dare amongst the children to climb the hill all the way to the top and come back to report what was up there. Most children never made it past the first four blocks. Even fewer would make it past nine blocks, and none of them had ever gone past eleven blocks high. Fearing what would happen if they did.

She had been close friends with a young boy. He had lighter, almost chocolate colored brown hair and eyes that were the exact same shade. As for his name… she would never be able to remember it. The girl had tried many times, but it never came to her. So she tried not to dwell on it when she thought about him. After all, he was probably dead; the place that had been her home before she found her true place at Father's side had been destroyed by the sands. Father had told her that years ago. But she was getting ahead of herself.

They had been playing nearby the hill when he suggested it. His exact words had been "I dare you to climb the hill. I bet you can't do it." He had a childish expression on his face, one of glee and endearment. She loved to remember that face, when it came to her mind to do so, it made her smile and feel like everything would be alright. Maybe when she was younger she had a crush on him, but it didn't matter in the long run.

In response she had stuck out her tongue with a stubborn reply of "I bet you I can." The two had gone back and forth like that for a few minutes. She had been the first to break "I bet I can do it, and I'll even prove it too you!" With that she had gone running to the hill, dragging the boy behind her by the arm. A determined look on her face as she stopped at the bottom and told him to "wait here for me." He did as he was told, a pout on his face, clearly not looking forward to having to watch her. She liked remembering that face as well, it made her laugh. He obviously thought she was going to fail. She would prove him wrong, she swore she would.

The first couple blocks had been a piece of cake. Sure her clothes were getting muddy, but they weren't anything special, just a pair of blue jeans and a ragged black shirt. She had rocketed past the first four blocks with the skill of an advanced climber; she guessed she had climbed a lot while she was in that small town. Where she had climbed, she had no clue. The next five blocks were simple enough; she had to hop and jump to get past some parts were the dirt was stacked two blocks high. When she got to block eleven, she turned back to the boy who seemed impressed. More than impressed, actually, stunned seemed to be the better word for it, his jaw had dropped slightly and his eyes were wide.

With a smirk, she continued upward, becoming the first person in the village's recent history to go past block eleven. Leaping and bounding past block thirteen before things got a little more challenging, but it was still child's play to her. Her conscious had been telling her to turn back once she got past block fifth teen, and by the time she got past block twenty it was practically screaming at her. But, of course, she had to ignore it. She had to be an idiot and disregard her common sense like every other person in the world. In determination to be the first person to the top and back it had been pushed aside foolishly. After all, she was almost there. Just a few more blocks and she would she what was at the top.

A smile played onto her face as she thought of what her friend would think of her once she went back down to him and told him what was at the top. Needless to say, what she found had been… underwhelming. What she had been expecting was some sort of cave with some sort of mob inside it that was had to run from. But, as she climbed the final block she saw a simple obsidian structure. Rectangular in shape, made of ten blocks of the rare, hard, black material. Carefully she walked up to it, inspecting it with curious eyes. At the time, she had no clue what the peculiar structure was. It wasn't until her Father had told her it was called a portal that she somewhat understood what had happened to her next.

It was like magic when it happened. The structure glowed white for a second, temporarily blinding her, before it faded. The empty hole that had been there was filled with a strange swirling purple thing. It looked like some sort of liquid to her, and when she went to touch it, her hand went straight through, past the purple, and could be seen on the other side of the stuff. The stuff itself didn't really feel like anything she had touched before. It was all sort of tingling and made her arm itch. At the same time, it coated her arm the same way water in a river would, wrapping around it before continuing on its swirling path.

At that moment her conscious was going into a frenzy. It was telling her to get away and go back down the hill and never to come back. How could she do that though? She didn't know what this thing was. Wouldn't it be great if she could tell the boy exactly what it was that they were being told to stay away from? Besides, she would only get into trouble if she went back down the hill. She had broken one of the laws. Wouldn't she be thrown into the town's equivalents of jail? No. It would be better if she found out what it was everyone was so afraid of, wouldn't it? Surely, it couldn't be that bad.

So, she stepped onto the lowest obsidian block. The purple stuff swirling around her, making her entire body tingle and itch. It wasn't long before she felt like sick, her vision swirling the same way the stuff was. She had closed her eyes and tried taking deep breaths. Whatever was happening felt really weird. She didn't like it. It made her tummy churn and her head ache.

Then, it just stopped. There was no rhythm or reason behind it; it just stopped. She opened her eyes only to see dark magenta-ish bricks around her. It was hot, much warmer than a desert or the heat of a lava pool. The air was thick and it was sort of hard to breath. It made her head feel foggy and her vision swim again. Looking up, there was a pure white face with red eyes looking down at her. She would soon learn to call that face Father because that was what he was. He had raised her. So why wouldn't she call him Father.

As the years would gone by Father would teach her many things. She was told she was lucky that he had found her, if he hadn't a blaze or ghast would have and she would have been dead. She was also told that she was lucky she was so young. It went against his "merciful" nature to kill a child her age for the simple reason that she couldn't fight back. She wouldn't have been able to run away or put up any fight, it took the fun out of it, he had said. Father was always wearing black and gray clothes; it made him seem scary at first. When she woke up in a small room with only a bed and a locked iron door, she would dread his rare visits.

The people who had guarded her were nice. They held golden swords, and they didn't look very pleasant, but they were friendly. She had called one of them Gavin and the other one Michael. After all, calling them things and it didn't seem very pleasant. It removed the idea that they had a conscious of their own, which they did. Michael seemed like the smarter and more competent of the two, as Gavin would always run away from oncoming threats and seemingly look for comfort/protection from the other. Sure the room was small and cell-like but the two guards always made her feel a little happier. Watching the two interact was an entertaining sight.

After a year or so, she had been given a room of her own that wasn't so much like a prison cell. She had a bed, a dresser loaded with clothes and other things to keep her entertained were scattered about the room. Bookshelves loaded with scrolls she couldn't read and thick textbook sized books, paper and pencils. She still wasn't allowed outside her room -she still had Gavin and Michael guarding her, as well- unless Father couldn't go to her room and see her. In which case, Gavin and Michael would bring her to him, but she didn't mind too much. She had grown used to their company, just like she got used to the sweltering heat of the realm, and the odd consistency of the air, and they seemed to enjoy being around her. She never had to worry about blazes or ghasts because they would keep them at bay. By they, she of course meant Michael, Gavin would fall back and stay at her side to let the other handle it. It was comical. And slowly, Father's visits became more frequent, and she grew to love him…in a way.

He would come in and give her lessons. Teaching her about the place she was, which he had called the Nether, and about her new place in the realm. Father was practically the king, second only to a man named Herobrine. However, Father was the King of Mobs and that made her both the Princess of Mobs and a Princess of the Nether, if she wanted to see herself that way. But she never did, refusing the formal tittles, saying she didn't see herself as anything other than the child she was. She was also the only child in the realm, while others of her kind had come into the realm, Father always caught them and "took good care of them." At night, she would sometimes hear screams of agony echoing through the fortress, her home, but she always ignored them. Never truly understanding where they were coming from and what they were until she many months after leaving the fortress.

He also helped her learn how to speak Michael and Gavin's language so she could have full-fledged conversations with them. They could always understand her when she spoke Minecraftian, but she could never understand what they said back. Within a month and a half she was fluent in their language. She would laugh when Gavin called himself and Michael Team Nice Dynamite, which would follow with Michael giving him a push into the wall and a laugh from both of them. He would teach her how to think before speaking and never to let any personal information slip in a conversation. Saying that she could never be too sure what the persons intentions were. He also had gathered the leaders of each mob group and told them to tell their subjects that if they ever saw her to leave her be. That if she should be harmed by any one of them that they would be punished.

When she was about eight Father had given her a gift. He changed her appearance from that of a cerulean eyed, brown haired surface dweller, to that of a lava orange eyed, ghast white haired Nether dweller. Instead of her jeans, t shirt and sneakers, she was given a black ball gown type dress with red trim, black stockings and black maryjanes. He had also given her a necklace, a silver chain with an onix pendent shaped like a key with a diamond embedded in the rounded end closest to the chain. On her arm was a jet black tattoo that stood against pale white skin, it crisscrossed around the area near her elbow in an intricate fashion forming small star and cross designs as it weaved around the area. It ended up being a half of an inch thick when it had finished winding around her arm. He told her with a simple touch she could return to former surface form if she so desired.

She had thanked Father profusely for the gift and never changed back. It made her look like she belonged in the Nether, with the lava, nether rack and flames. With it, she seemed to blend in and have a place in her home. Like she was truly being accepted into it for the first time. Michael and Gavin loved the change in her look as well, and Father was pleased with it. So what reason did she have to change back? The simple answer, she had none.

It was when she was fourteen that Father began to warn her about the Heroes of Minecraftia and the surface world above. He told her that they were out to kill him, and that they would kill her too if they got the chance. He told her how they killed mobs ruthlessly and would not hesitate to do the same to her. He showed her what had become of the zombies, spiders and creepers that had gotten slaughtered by them. Heads cut off, torsos torn in two, limbs cut off, gray matter leaking out of the skull from a punctured brain, ribs broken and lungs pierced as result of it. It was horrific, and almost made her vomit from the mere sight of it all.

The surface was not safe, he had told her. If anyone from there saw her they would kill her. They didn't know what mercy was. They only knew how to kill. They would not think for a second that they were killing someone's child, a young girl or boy. He showed her the Survival Games that they played, showing they killed each other for sport only to be brought back once the game was done to do it again if they so pleased. He showed her how when they played a simple game of hide and seek they would use swords, bows and armor to kill the hiders only for them to be brought back as seekers. It was revolting, and so she swore never to go back to the surface. She would remain with her Father, Gavin and Michael where it was safe. Where she didn't have to worry about Survival Games or deadly games of hide and seek.

When she was fifth teen, the fortress had been infiltrated by the Heroes… at least that was what Gavin had told her as he dragged her through the halls by the hand. Michael was following close behind them, sword drawn, making sure nothing would attack her from behind. The blazes and ghasts had given up on her long ago, Michael was keeping her safe from the Heroes. Swearing that if they so much as touched her they would be dead. Gavin made the same promise to her as well. A small bag was on her back that had her surface clothing. They had told her to bring it along, just in case they had to send her to the world above if they couldn't make it to another fortress.

She had been terrified. The fortress had been what she had always known, she didn't want to leave. The idea that the Heroes had arrived made her feel sick to the stomach. What if her friends turned into victims of their brutal massacres? What if they found her? They would kill her, that much was obvious, but would they really not hesitate in the slightest. She was a Minecraftian, right? That was what Father had said she was before he told her that she was his child.

The three came across a portal before they left the fortress and her friends lite it quickly. Insisting that she leave through it. It may not be safer, but they would come back for her as soon as it was safe. Her eyes had grown wide and she tried to refuse, saying everything that could go wrong with their plan. But they shoved her into the purple swirls of the portal and yelled at her to tap the tattoo that she never covered up. She did as she was told, but she never got to see if it actually worked before the portal whisked her away to the surface.

When she reappeared she was in a forest, the sun was bright and the weather was cool. She shivered, wrapping her around herself while shouldering the bag. That was when she saw her hair, it was brown once again. If she could see her eyes, they would be the brilliant blue they once had been. It had worked; she had changed back to how she used to look before Father's gift. Quickly, she fled from the portal, into the woods, not caring she didn't know her way around or that she was tripping over her gown. She had to get away from that portal. Michael and Gavin would be able to find her if she stayed close enough to it. At least, that was what she hoped.

Once she deemed herself far enough away, but close enough for her friends to find her she placed the bag on the ground. Looking around for anyone, she decided no one was there. She could change into her surface clothes without anyone looking or killing her. The end of that thought made her heart clench in fear. She didn't want to die. Not now when she was still young. Stuffing her gown into the bag and pulling on the black long sleeved shirt, she debated what to do with it. Odds were she would never need it ever again. She had kept the necklace on, it was precious to her, but the clothes… with a shrug she shouldered the bag once again went closer to the portal to wait for her friends to get her. She didn't want to stay here longer than she had too.

They never did come back for her. She can only guess they died. Tears were shed, and she mourned the loss of her two closest friends. Team Nice Dynamite was no more and she would never get to hear the two joke around with each other again. She would never know if it was safe for her to return home, or what had become of the place. She couldn't risk going back, but she couldn't risk staying on the surface. So her only option was to wonder and hope she would never encounter anyone.

It would be a lonely existence, but Twilight was no stranger too being alone.

**XoXoXoX**

Thus begins the first half of my first Minecraft story. There are only two parts, and the other half is done, I had originally planned it to be one chapter. Than I realised it would take forever for people to read. So I split it into two. The next half will be up tomarrow. ^^

I was going for a Shadow of Israphel type feel because of who "Father" is. By the end of the story, it should be pretty obvious who he is. I included things like the Hunger/Survival Games for the simple reason of, if you were going to show a child a reason not to go back to the surface and prove to them that he/she would be killed if they did, what would you show them? The Hunger/Survival Games just seemed like the perfect choice.

This plot idea is one I've had in mind for months now. And I haven't seen anyone do it before. Don't get me wrong! I'm sure there are loads of them. I've just never seen them personally. For a while, I couldn't figure out how to write it. So when I managed to figure out the first few paragraphs one night, I just went off and couldn't stop. After three school days I finally finished it and edited it once. Since I'm my own editer, there are bound to be loads of mistakes, so if you find one, please let me know.

I'll see you guys tomarrow,

Ember

**Disclaimer:** Team Nice Dynamite belongs to Gavin and Michael from Rooster Teeth, "Father" (not saying is name until next chapter, besides, it should be obvious) belongs to the Yogscast, Gavin and Michael belong to themselves.


	2. The Nether's Child part 2

Well, I'm glad people are interested in reading this. Here's the other part I promised. Sadly this story is not much more than a backstory for Twilight right now. I don't know if I'll return to her story, but I just wanted you guys to know that. So, feel free to stop reading now that you know. It doesn't bother me.

**UltimateGeek:** Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like it. Oh, und, Ich spreche klein Dutch. Aber Ich wille für den Aussenseite schreibe. Sorry if my grammar wasn't too good.

**Jman14102:** I'm glad you think it's creative, and enjoyed it.

**MeatBucket Productions:** That has to be the first time anyone has called my work original, thank you! Sorry I made you feel guilty, that wasn't my intent at all. I just figured it made sense, she wouldn't know that they tried to hurt people. As far as she knew, they were just wondering around minding their own buisness. I hate to tell you this, but part 2 isn't really exciting.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inthelittlewood/Martyn he blongs to himself, Sototallytoby/Toby he belongs to himself, and Israphel beongs to the Yogscast

**XoX****oXoXo**

**Part 2**

It was a few days before she made her first slip up.

She had managed to find a cave with a berry bush nearby and _water_. She hadn't see water in the Nether unless Father brought it back from the surface in buckets. So to see a river and a lake filled with the stuff was absolutely stunning, the way it reflected the sky and the moon and sun was a sight of wonder and awe in her mind. The sky was a brilliant blue instead of a deep red and there was an actual sun and moon instead of glowstone. The mobs never bothered her, they knew who she was and would never dare lay a finger on her because of her Father's threat. Though… she wished they would try to talk to her… it would stop the loneliness for a while.

She had been outside when she was first spotted. She was picking some of the berries and gathering water for the day when a blond haired boy found her. He had called out to her and she dropped everything eyes wide and turned to look at him. The boy had slightly pointed ears, a green shirt with an odd swirl, jean shorts and a black bandana on. Standing up, she eyed the boy with fright and fear pooling in her stomach causing it to churn unpleasently. When he took a step forward, she took one back. Soon enough she had turn and ran from him, fleeing into the woods leaving her clothing bag behind, terrified of what he would do to her. Vaguely she remembered him calling out to her, but she too busy running for her life to pay attention.

After running for an awhile she looked around, the boy was nowhere in sight. She was safe. So, she curled up against the base of a tree and cried to herself. She wanted to go home. She didn't want to die. She wanted Father to find her and keep her safe. She wanted Gavin and Michael to come back and make her laugh with their silly antics. She wanted to be in her room reading the scrolls she was only starting to understand when the Heroes invaded. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was. It was on that night, she cried herself to sleep for the first time in years, not realizing that the boy she ran from was searching for her to apologize for scaring her.

The next few days passed without any problems. No mobs or unforeseen guest found her and the boy was nowhere in sight. She pulled herself together and slept in the branches of the tree she curled up against that night. Water was easy enough to find, and food was found as well, though it was a bit harder to obtain than it had been before. However, she managed with what she had and didn't complain too much. There would be no point in it after all, no one could hear her. So she would just be talking to herself, and she did not want to sound like she was insane. Even if no one would be around to see it.

She didn't know how long it was before the boy found her again. It was about noon when he did. To be fair, she wasn't really doing anything important, just drawing in the mud with a stick. The boy had spoken, making her jump and stare at him wide eyed, he had said "Hey…" He probably was saying more, but by then it was too little, too late. The stick fell from her hand and she stood up instantly turning towards him and began to back up, getting ready to make a run for it. She was not going to die. Even if it meant she had to run for the rest of her life, she was not going to die.

That was when she backed into a tree, like a complete idiot. Fear ran through her, and she had just looked at him. Any and all resolve left her, but the terror still remained. Petrifying her, making her think that she had nowhere to run, even though there was an entire forest around her and an almost infinite amount of directions she could run. The boy held up both his hands in front of him, and began speaking slowly "Easy. I'm not going to hurt you, alright?" His voice had been soft, careful, as though he was talking to a scared animal. In hindsight, she should have been furious about that, she wasn't some animal that had been injured and was running away to avoid any more cruelty. At the time, however, she hadn't cared. She just wanted to get out of there. He had an accent as well… she vaguely registered that… then again she lived in the Nether, any surface dweller she would talk to would have one. Not that she intended to speak to any of them.

"Stay away from me." Her own voice had sounded pathetic; the words wavered and trembled showing far too much emotion for her liking. Both her hands were gripping the trunk of the tree as though it were a lifeline. He took a step back, as though he were trying to give her more room. It didn't work, she still stayed against the tree trunk, she didn't relax. Her eyes still darted from side to side trying to convince herself that she wasn't as trapped as she thought.

"It's okay." The boy almost whispered again, he was trying to make his voice calming. Like it was going to help her relax at all. "My name's Martyn." He had placed a hand on himself, as if indicating that it was him who was speaking. She wasn't a bloody idiot! He didn't have to show that he was referring to himself! It wasn't like she couldn't understand basic English! She didn't say anything though, instead, she had just continued to look at him, hands slowly releasing the tree trunk, but never relaxing. Besides, she had probably just taken the action the wrong way, nothing more, nothing less. "I'm not going to hurt you. Alright. I promise." The boy took another step back, and this time she took one forward.

Slowly, the terrified stare turned into a cold, determined glare. "I said, stay away from me." She didn't know where the sudden burst of courage had come from, or why it existed where fear had been not a single moment before. Then again, as Father would have said 'Emotions are such strange things.' And she had to agree with him. They were so peculiar. How one could be raging one moment, and then the next fall onto their knees in tears. It was rather interesting, and she could see why Father loved studying them so much.

Sky bluish eyes seemed sort of surprised, yet at the same were unfazed by her reaction. Almost as though he had been expecting it. "Look, I just wanted to say sorry I scared you so much before." His voice was still calm, however it had grown in volume slightly. At the time, she didn't know what Martyn had been thinking, and she never would. It was none of her business after all. She had no reason to ask him, and so she didn't.

The reply was quick, and sharp. "Well, you've said sorry. Now will you please leave." If words could harm people like a sword, the blond boy would have been clutching his arm or chest trying to staunch the blood that would have been flowing out. Her hands were fists, fingernails digging into her palm, teeth clenched together in a snarl. All of it was just an attempt to seem intimidating. While she had a feeling it wouldn't work, she had to try it.

Martyn sighed silently while shaking his head slightly, clearly losing patience, but trying not to show it "I wasn't done." She raised an eyebrow, slightly curious. What more could he possibly have to say? "I was thinking that you might want to meet my friend, back at my campsite. He's about your age, so I figured you might be more comfortable around him than me." She wouldn't be going anywhere with anyone. So what if the person he was talking about was her age. Who's to say there even was a person! How could she know that he wasn't just going to stab her in the back when they arrived there? No, she wouldn't go.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not going." She growled "How do I know you're not just going to try and kill me? Your kind seems to enjoy harming others." That was when she snapped her mouth shut and bit her lip; she hadn't meant to say that. That was meant to stay in her mind. He was never meant to know that. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. What would Father say if he ever found out she said something without thinking? She had been taught better than that!

At her words, the boy seemed to deflate slightly. Eyes seemingly saddening, shoulders slightly lower than before, hands slowly dropping to his sides, and head tilted to the side. "Is that what you're so scared about?" His voice was still calm, but she could tell that underneath the even tone was a slight edge of hurt, as though he was offended by her words. Part of her felt he deserved it. He was going to kill her; he should feel bad about it. She was just surprised he hadn't done it yet. She had seen people beat others to death with sticks, bones, and even their bare fists in those Survival Games Father had shown her. So why hadn't he done it yet? She had no weapon, and couldn't fight back. He clearly had the upper hand, yet he wasn't taking the opportunity to eradicate her very existence. "That I'm going to kill you?" She bit her lip harder, the vague taste of copper filled her mouth as she did so, unable to speak. How could she possibly respond to him in a way that stated indifference or a cold determination? Martyn didn't wait too long before continuing "I haven't hurt you yet, have I? What would I gain from killing you? If I wanted you dead, you would probably be by now. Besides, you're still a kid. Can't be older than sixteen."

He had valid points, her subconscious seemed to whisper. There was nothing on her person besides her clothes, which were so torn and dirt covered that they couldn't be worth anything. Though… her necklace… her hand moved to grab the pendent without her noticing it. She hadn't taken it off once, keeping it securely around her neck and hidden under her shirt; surely people would have paid large quantities of money for it. But age shouldn't matter, there had been boys younger than her that had been killed in those warped games of hide and seek. "Also," The blue eyed blond began again "What did you mean by 'my kind?'"

That was when she found her voice again "I've seen how all of you kill each other for sport. I've seen what you do to mobs, some that never even come near you. Who's to say you won't do the same to me?" Her voice was stern, practically yelling what Father had convinced her of so long ago. It was the truth, she had seen it! Father had no reason to lie to her! He was always good to her. He always knew what to do. Even if he shoved her away most of the time and practically went insane when the Heroes began to meddle in his affairs. He only meant to protect her, telling her how lucky she was to be found young and how he had mercy upon her. Father wouldn't lie to her.

With a shake of his head, Martyn seemed to understand what she was referring too. "The Survival Games are just that, a game. No one really gets hurt. They're given a potion to replicate the damage taken and when they 'die' they're just simply teleported away into a lobby area." He paused for a second "You were talking about the Survival Games, right?" She nodded, not really believing him… but it wasn't like she ever wanted to try it herself. She didn't want to be killed for the sake of a stupid game. She wanted him to prove it to her. To show her the potion he was talking about. One of the people in the game had been shot in the heart with a volley of arrows, how could anyone stay alive after that? Potion or not. How could a shot to the heart, an axe to the head or a sword rending through a body leaving it torn in half not be fatal? It simply wasn't possible.

"As for the mobs, some people try to run from them." The bandana wearing boy seemed to shrug "Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they don't. Either way, in the end it's either us or them." He was so nonchalant about it, as if it were an everyday occurrence to kill them. Somehow though… a part of her believed it. It felt like something she had been told once before when she was younger. But Michael and Gavin… they were mobs as well… they hadn't done anything wrong… and they were dead! They couldn't have done anything wrong to anyone! They weren't like the mobs that this boy was referring to. Yet they're dead! "I don't know why you're so worried about them, though. But trust me, I don't like the idea of having to run into them, but I do want to stay alive."

She growled, trying to hold back what she so desperately wanted to say. The boy wouldn't understand. There was no way he would. It would only make her sound crazy… crazier than she probably did already. Not to mention it would give her away. No one on the surface could ever have pigmen as friends, it just couldn't be done. She had heard their squeals at night when a surface dweller would get into the fortress and kill them off before Father would find and take care of the intruder. She heard the way they swore and cried out for their friends only to have them stop abruptly. When she was a child she didn't understand their squeals, but once Father explained the minecraftians were going through the portals once again, it made sense. It was like adding two and two together to get four. It just made sense.

The boy held out his hand and tried to smile, though it looked a bit more like a grimace than anything else. "Come on, let's go to my campsite. I can introduce you to my friend and try to explain everything a bit more. You seem kind of confused, and the suns going down as well. Personally, I would rather be around a fire with a friend than alone and cold." Closing blue eyes before staring into mine I noticed that they seemed genuine enough, a careful concern with a hint of curiosity and willingness to try and help. A fire did sound nice… it did get cold at night… but what reason did she have to trust him other than he hadn't murdered her yet? Should she trust him for one night and leave as soon as dawn breaks? That would be easy enough to do. But what if he killed her while she slept? She had no reason to willingly risk her life just to be around a fire for one night.

She could always wait for them to be completely asleep before sleeping herself. That would be a simple, effective answer. They couldn't stay awake forever. Then again, neither could she… but she was always up late anyway… besides, she still wasn't used to how time worked on the surface. For her, midnight was midday, and noon was midnight. She would get used to the time difference eventually, but not until she had too. Biting her lip she replied "Fine. But just this once. If you try to kill me, you _will_ regret it." The last part had been growled in another attempt to be threatening, one that didn't really work by the looks of it, seeing as Martyn had just shrugged it off with a simple 'whatever.' He turned and began to walk away, motioning her to follow with a simple hand gesture.

So, she did. Always staying about three steps behind in case there was ever a need to run, which she expected there would be at some point. No mobs disturbed them on their walk to the camp. The boy seemed a little confused by that fact, maybe even on edge. Was it not normal for mobs to avoid people? Then again, every mob knew to stay away from her for their own good. Father had made that very clear to them… even if he never intended her to go to the surface.

Within minutes the camp was in sight, another boy was sitting by the fire, a sword on the ground in front of him. Two green tents were set up around the fire pit. The boy himself had light, almost chocolate colored brown hair, a gray sweatshirt and plain, worn blue jeans. He looked upset about something, worried almost. "I'm back." The blond had said with a smile on his face. Instantly the other boy looked up and towards him, only to smile himself. His eyes, that were the same shade of his hair, glowed in the light of the flames. Turning brown into a gentle shade of amber.

"About time." The brown haired boy said. "I was starting to get worried." He tilted his head slightly "What took you so long anyway? You said you would be back in about an hour."

A light chuckle escaped Martyn's lips as he put his right hand behind his head. "Yeah… I did. Didn't I? I brought someone back with me; I thought you'd like to meet her." The green shirted boy looked to her and motioned that she come forward with a simple movement of his head. She didn't, at first, not really wanting to be seen. It would be better for them if she just left. Though, it didn't really matter, she was going to leave while they were sleeping anyway. After a few moments she stepped forward and smiled slightly, bringing her hand up to wave. She felt… not really scared… nervous… like she wanted to make a good impression on him. A knot had formed in her in her stomach and churned only becoming worse. It didn't make any sense. There was just something about the boy. The fear she had about them killing her just seemed to wear away, like how the lava would slowly erode the nether rack over time.

There was something in the brown haired boy's eyes that shone slightly as though it seemed to recognize something about her. They seemed to have gained a small spark of acknowledgement, like he had remembered something he had forgotten. "Oh, hello, then. Uh… my name's Toby. Nice to meet you?" His voice quivered slightly, as though he was nervous as well. The knot in her stomach clenched slightly. Why was she so nervous? He was just some kid. She didn't feel like he was going to kill her… which in itself was odd. Why was she nervous instead of terrified like she had been with Martyn? Was it simply because he was younger and seemed to be about her age? Was it because he felt like someone she knew?

After a few moments she spoke "My name's Twilight…" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and she saw Toby raise an eyebrow in curiosity. He probably didn't hear her. "My name's Twilight." She said again, her voice louder than before. Toby tilted his head again and stood up from his seat, taking a single step forward. She took one back by instinct. Realizing how stupid she had been. They knew her name. She didn't mean for them to know her name. That was meant to be kept hidden. Why didn't she use a fake name? She should have known better!

"Wow." Martyn began "Congrats, Toby, you're the first person to get her to say her name." The blond had clearly been saying it as a joke, as there had been an airy lightness to his voice. That didn't stop her from glaring at him, however. She didn't need him to joke about her failure. It was as if he was rubbing salt in an open wound. Intentional or not, it was uncalled for. Yet she remained silent, keeping her thoughts to herself.

The rest of the evening consisted of chatting. Though, she still didn't trust Martyn, there was something about Toby that just felt… right? Could she even call it that? It just felt like she could relax around him and talk the way she would have to Gavin or Michael. She never did relax though. The entire time she had been tense, ready to jump and run if they turned on her. Yet, at the same time she felt like she could trust the younger boy. She enjoyed being around him. Perhaps it was her imagination, but he just seemed familiar. The face, the voice, the hair and eyes all seemed like those of the boy who had dared her to climb that hill all those years ago. Bringing back a sense of being that girl who had climbed it in response. With both him and the boy from her village, she could laugh and smile freely. Something she hadn't done for weeks.

When the time came and the two fell asleep, she didn't run away. Something in her mind was telling her to stay. And, while it was against her better judgment, she did. In the morning, Martyn seemed genuinely surprised to find her sitting by the burnt out fire, poking the charcoal with a stick. Drawing swirls and faces in the ashes.

**XoXoXoXo**

As time wore on she grew to trust Martyn, and Toby. It had taken the elder of the two a few weeks to gain her trust, and she still kept a weary watch over him from time to time. The younger, however, had gained it within two days. Sometimes, she could still she a spark of confusion in the forest spirit's eyes. He wondered how she had been able to get along with Toby without any issue. If she was honest, she wondered how as well.

After a month or so she decided it was time for her to leave. Realizing that if Father ever went to search for her than her new acquaintance and friend would be in danger. Father wouldn't appreciate the fact that she had found two exceptions to his teachings. He also wouldn't like the fact she had been there so long. Who knew what Father would do if he ever found her among the minecraftians like she belonged with them. She, personally, didn't want to find out. And if that meant she had to be a nomad soul for the rest of her life, then so be it.

The two didn't understand why she had to leave, as she didn't really want to explain the details and tell them about Father and her life in the Nether. After all, they would probably send her away anyway once they learned about that. No, it was better if they didn't know the real reason. A part of her wished she could tell them, but it didn't matter. By the end of the day, she would be on her own either way.

She was a girl without a home or meaning, but Twilight didn't mind it one bit.

**XoXoXoXo**

And that's the end of it. I don't really have any plans on continuing this. I have a few short stories I might add on at some point. I might try to write one where she meets the "Heroes of Minecraftia". That would be fun. *chuckles* There are _so_ many things I can do with that just because of how she was raised. I might do one of her finding her home under the sands. I don't know, I have a few ideas. I just have to figure out how to write them. So for now, I'll keep this story under the tittle in-progress. I might write another chapter where I explain a few things if no one can get what I was trying to hint at, or what I was referencing. I don't know.

Oh, anyone guess who the village boy was in the first part? You might be able to tell if you read carefully enough. Just saying.

Later,

Ember


End file.
